Combined taping and seam-pressing machine



w. osGooD COMBINED 'I-APING AND SEAM PRESSING MACHINE Filed June v. 1926 whens-sheet 2 Fig.2. Fig.8.

W lnVenTor.

WQITB g 0d 4 I Anysie b ilwa MK/M Patented Oct. 18, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER P. OSGOOD, F MALDE N,iMASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO BOSTON MACHINE WORKS COMPANY, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHU- COMBINED T APING AND SEAM-PRESSING MACHINE.

Application filed June 7, 1926. Serial No. 114,296.

'In the manufacture of various articles of leather it is a. common practice to sew to gether two pieces of leather by placing the pieces face to face and running a line of stitching adjacent the edges which are to be united. When two pieces thus sewed to-.

gether are opened away from each other a I ridge will bepresented at the scam, the marginal portions of the two pieces of leather standing up at substantially right angles to the plane of the opened pieces. In the manufacture of shoes and other articles where pieces of leather stitched together in this way are used it is the common practice to subject the seam thus formed to a seampressing operation for the purpose of flattening down the ridge caused by the seam and it is also a common practice to subsequently apply a finishing tape or stay to the flattened seam. Heretofore the operation of pressing or flattening the seam and of ap-' plying the stay or tape have been performed separately and on difi'erent machines.

It is one object of my present invention to provide a novel machine which will perform the two operations at the same time so that by passing the work once through the machine the seam will be pressed or flattened and the tape or stay will be applied.

Other objects are to provide a novel machine which is constructed to apply an adhesively-coated tape to a seam and also to provide other improvements all as will be morefully hereinafter set forth.

In order to give an understanding of my invention I have illustrated in the drawings a selected embodiment thereof which will now be described after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, .Fig. 1 is a front view of a combined taping and seam-pressing machine embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view through the presser element and the work support on substantially the line '22, Fig. 4;

Fig. 3 is also a sectional view through the presser element and work support on the hue 33, Fig. i

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4, Fig. 2;

F g. 5 is a section on the line 5-5, Fig. 2;

Flg. 6 is an under side view of the presser element;

Fig. 7 is a view illustrating the manner in which two pieces are sewed together;

Fig. 8 illustrates the shape which the two pieces assume when they are opened away from each other;

F 1g. 9 is .a view illustrating two parts which have been sewed together with the seam pressed and the tape applied;

Fig. 10 is a sectional view of a seam which has been has been applied trated;

pressed and to which tape by the machine herein illus- Fig. 11. is an under side perspective View of the working face of the' presser element;

Fig. 12 is an enlarged section on the line 12- l2, Fig. 1.

Before describingthe machine I will re fer briefly to./the operation which the ma chine performs. Referring first to Fig. 7, 1 and 2 indicate two pieces of leather which are to be stitched together for use in making ashoe or for some other purpose. These pleces of leather are shown as placed in faceto-face contact with the edges 3 in alignment and they are stitched to ether by a line of st tchin 4 which extends through the two pleces ad pieces 1 and 2 are opened or separated from each other for incorporation inthe shoe or other article a ridge 5- will be formed along the seam. The opening of the pieces 1 and 2 away from each other causes the material of each piece to be bent at the seam and the portions 6 of the pieces between the seam 4 and the edges 3 will lie in close contact and v will form a ridge extending across the combined pieces. In the making of a shoe it is a common practice to employ a seam of this type for stltching together the portions of the upper around the heel. A ridge such as shown at 5 in Fig. 8 is undesirable and consequently as stated above it has heretofore been the practice to subject this ridge to a seam-pressing operation for the purpose of jacent the edges 3. When these two flattening the ridge down somewhat and it has also been the practice to apply a tape I or stay piece to the seam so as to cover the in Fig. 9.

The machine herein shown for performing the combined seam-pressing and taplng operation is similar in man respects to the taping machine illustratedin my Patent No. 1,549,376ydated August 11th, 1925. This patent is provided with a work support 1n the form of a roll-over which the work to be taped is' fed, means to apply to the work an adhesively-coated tape and a 'presser member which may be-heated and which has a movement toward and from the work support and which by such movement applies thetape progressively to the work and at the same time feeds the work and the tape forward. Inasmuch as the machine embodying the present invention is similar to that of the above-mentioned PatentNo. 1,549,376

I have not deemed it necessary to illustrate. the complete machine herein but have shown a sufficient portion thereof togive an understanding of the present invention.

' In Fig. 1 of the drawings 8 designates the work support over which the work an is fed, said work w comprising the two pieces 1 and 2 seamed together. The tape which isto. be applied during the seam-pressing operation is indicated at 7,- and it is illustrated as an adhesively. coated tape which may be".

caused: to adhere-to-the. work by pressure. The pressing of-the seam and the applying of the tape are accomplishedby the combined actlon of .the .worksupport 8 and the presser member; 9,- the'face of which resser member has the special shape herematter described.- This presser member 9, which is provided with means 10 by which it may be electrically heated in order to facilitate the adhesion of the adhesive tape to the work, i-s secured to a head member 11.

which hasa' vertical and also an oscillating movement similar tothe movement that is given to the presser member in .my abovementioned atent. This oscillating head 11 is mounted? on the main frame 12 of the machine and'it receives its oscillatory move ment from an eccentric 13'. on a driving shaft-14 carried by the main frame. The head 11 is provided with a slot 15 through which extends a stud 16 fast in the main frame 12, said studhaving a block 17 which is 'slidabl' mounted in the slot 15 and is 'ournalled on' the stud 16. As' the shaft 14 is rotated the eccentric .willgive the head 11 an up and down movement and also a rocking movement about the stud 16, all as described in my above-mentioned patent, such movement causing the face of the press er'9 to move toward and fromthe work support and also to have a rocking or rolling contact therewith.

The work 10 is guided into the machine I work guidemay be supported in any approprlate way. It is herein illustrated as carried by the lower end of an arm 19 which is secured 'to a bracket 20 that in turn is se-' cured to'the main frame 12. As the work is fed forward the ridge 5 of the seam will pass into and throu h'the guidingpassage 21 and. the work' is t us properly guided H1 its. feeding movement. J

The tape is fed to the work above the work guide -18and the adhesive face of the ta e is brought into contact with the work irectly in front of saidwork guide, said tape being laid over the seam ridge 5 and having a width Wider. than the seam ridge so that it overlies the portions" ofv the work either side of the ridge.- This tape is guided in itsmovement to the work by means of a tape guide which is herein shown ascomprising two guiding members '22, 23 between -which the tape passes, each having. a lip of ear 24 that overlies the tape. This tape guide may also. be supported in any desirable way, one convenient way being to W port it on the same arm 19 thatis usedo support the work guide 18 In the particular construction shown the work guide and tape guide are adjustably' carried by the arm 19 for which. purpose the two guides are mounted on a slide 25 provided with a, slot 26through which extends i a clamping-screw 27 'tha'tsc'rew threads into the end of the arm 19.- By loosening the clamping screw the'guide may be adjusted latei'ally so as to line it u with thepresser foot as will be presently escribed.

28indicatesa hold-down member or guiding. finger which is secured-to the arm" 19 and under. which the tape 7 passes to the tape guide, said finger serving to hold the .tape in position so that it will pass between.

the two tape-guiding members 22 and 23 and under the ears 24..

29 indicates a tension foot which rests on and is yieldingly heldagainst the tape -im- 'mediately in front .of the tape guide. This tension foot is carried by anarm 30 which is pivoted at 31'to-a holder 32 secured to the bracket 20, said tension foot being similar to a corresponding tension foot which is illus trated in my above-mentioned patent. 'The arm 30 is acted on by a spring 33' which yield'in ly holds the tension footagainst the tape. aid arm 30 is provided with a rearward extension 34 which has a guiding slottherethrough through which the tape 7 width.

The end 38 of the groove, which I will refer to as the entering end is relatively shallow while the opposite end 39 is deeper. Also the portion 38 of the groove is slightly narrower than the portion 39.

The work guide 18 will be so adjusted on the arm 19 that. the groove '21 thereof is in line with the seam-receiving groove 37 of the presser element and hence as the work is fed through the machine the ridge 5 passes from the guiding groove 21 of the work guide into the groove 37 of the presser.

As the presser is moved downwardly into contact with the work the portion38 of the groove engages the portion of-the tape which rests on the ridge 5 and as this portion of the groove is of less depth than the height of the ridge 5 the entire pressure of the pressure foot will come on the ridge and will thus flatten or press the seam through the tape and at the same time will cause the tape to be firmly affixed to the flattened seam, it being understood that the heat in the presser element will soften the adhesive face of the tape so that it will become adhesively united to the work wherever pressure is applied. This operation is shown in Fig. 4. As the work is fed through the machine and comes under the rear of heel portion of the active face of the presser, the pressed seam or ridge will pass into the deep and wider portion 39 of the groove 37 and will thus be relieved from pressure, but the portion 40 of the active face of said presser member will be firmly pressed against the edges of the tape on opposite sides of the groove 37, as shown in Fig. 5, and will thus attach the edges of the tape to the work. The seam, therefore, is progressively pressed and the tape applied thereto and the edges of the tape are also progressively acted on and secured to the work.

It will be remembered that the presser member has a rocking motion as well as an up and down motion due to the manner in which it is operated and as a result at each downward movement of the presser theheel portion 40 will strike the work first and then as the work is fed forward the presser has a rocking motion which will bring the forward face of the presser against the work. The contact of the heel of the presser against the work will cause the edges of the tape to adhere to the work and as the. presser member rocks the entering end 38 of the groove is pressed against the seam thus pressing the seam at this point and causing the tape to adhere thereto. At the next downward movement of the presser element the heel portion acts to press the sides of the tape against the work at the point where the seam was flattened on the previous downward stroke of the presser.

The two operations of pressing the seam and attaching the tape to the pressed seam are thus accomplished at the same time but at any point along the, seam the operation of seam pressing will be first accomplished together with the attachment of the tape to the pressed seam and immediately thereafter the edges of the tape at this point will be acted on and pressed against and attached to the work.

The work-supporting roller 8 is shown as having a peripheral surface which is curved transversely as clearly seen in Figs. 4 and 5 and the heel portion 40 of the active face of the presser is correspondingly curved. The entering portion of the active face, however, is flat transversely, this fiat portion gradually merging into the curved portion. The advantage of this is that when the presser is brought against the work, as

shown in Fig. 4, the edges of the presser are separated a considerable distance from the edges of the work support and thus there is no possibility that any pressure will be applied to the edges of the \strip and the pressure will come entirely on the rib. On the other hand, at the heel end of the presser the face is curved to correspond to the curvature of the roll 8 and thus there will be a firm pressure brought to bear on the edges of the tape, as seen-in Fig. 5.

The tape 7 may be taken from any suitable source of supply and novel means are herein provided for withdrawing the tape from the source of supply and feeding it to the guiding foot. The bracket 20 is provided with an arm 41 to which is pivoted at 42 a. swinging arm 43 carrying at its end a roll 44 over which the tape passes, The swinging arm 43 has rigid therewith a short arm 45 to which is connected :1 link 46, the latter being pivotally connected on a stud 47 carried by the head 11. This stud 47 is provided with a guide roll 48 around. which the tape passes. The tape extends from the source of supply around the guide roll 44, thence over and around the .guide .roll 48 and thence'over a guiding stud 49 and to the guiding slot 34. Owing to the movement of the head which is derived from the eccentric 13 the stud 47 will have a movement in an orbit with the result that the left hand endof the link 47 are given a movement in a. similar orbit. The component of this orbital motion which is 1n the directionzofthe length of the link 46 will operatethrough the arm45 to rock the arm 43 as shown by the full and dotted line posie I tions Fig. 1.

, The two rolls 44, and- .48 thushave 9. vibratory motion inetimed relation but 1n op; posits-directions; The separating movement of the rollsinto the dotted line positions re-' sults in drawing alength of tape from the source ofsupply and the movement of the. rolls toward each other or in thefulhline po- 2. In a device of the class described, the

'combinationwith a'work support over which is fed work consisting of two pieces joined bya sea-m presentin a seam ridge,of means to press the seam r1 ge progressively and s1- 'multaneously to lay tape over theseam ridge.

' guiding means 3. Ina device of the class described, the combination with a work support over which is fed work consisting of two pieces 'oined by a seam presenting-a seam ridge, 0 tapeby which 'adhesively-coated tape'is uided into a position overlying the seam ri ge, and a presser member operating to press'the tape against the seam ridge overlying the acting to press and simultaneously compress the rid e. i

4. In adevic'eof the class descri ed, the combination with-a work support over which "is fed work comprising two 'piec'esseamed together, of ta e guiding means by which adhesively-coate tape is. guided into. position seam, and a presser member direction ofits length and to apply tape to the seam progressively both in a direction longitudinally of the tape and transversely thereof.

7 5. In a machine of the classdescribed, the

' combination with a work support over which is fed work comprising two pieces is fed .work comprising two pleces seamed together and presenting a. seam ridge, of a work, ui'de having a guiding passage to receive t e seam ridge,and thereby guide the work, and means" to' lay tape on the seam ridge and simultaneously press the seam ridge through the tape. i

6. In ama'chine of the class described, the combination with a work support over which seamed together to present a seamridge,

guide having a guiding passage to receive "apply the tape ,thereto,

' applied thereto theseam progressively in the of a. work the seam ridge and thereby guide the work,

a tapeuide by which adhesively-coated tape is gui ed .into position to overlie the unpressed seam ridge, and a. pressermember co-operating with the work support to press the seam ridge and simultaneously apply the.

tape thereto.

7.- In a machine of the classdescribed the combination with a work-support over which is fed work comprising two pieces seamed together, or means to lay on the seam'an adhesively-coatcd tape which is wider than theseam, and a presser member'co-operating with the work support to press the seam and the forward end of the active face of the presser member having a shape to apply pressureto the "seam only but not to the work either side of the seam and the opposite end of said active face of the presser member having a' shape to apply pressure to the tape at the sides of the'seam but not'to the seam, whereby as the work is led the seam is first pressed and thetape, applied thereto I and subsequently the tape 1s applied to the work either side of the seam.

. 8. Ina device of the class described, the A combinationwith a work support over which .is fed work comprising two pieces seamed a seam-ridge, of

together and presentin means to la adhesively coated tape over the seam, an a presser member to. press the seam and-apply the tape tothe work, said presser member having in its active face a groove to receive the seam ridge, the entering end of which groove is of less depth than the vhei htfof the ridge and the delivery and of whic groove is ofgreater depth, whereby the seam ridge is first pressed and the tape and subsequently the tape is applied to the work either. side of the seam.

9. In a machine of the class described, the

combination witha work support over which is .fed workcompr'isin two ieces seamed together, of a work groove to receive t e seam and thereby guide the-work as it is fed, a tape guide by which adhesively-coated tape is guided into position to-overlie the unfpressed seam,

uide having a guiding x and a presser member to press the tape 1 againstthe work and to press the seam throu h the tape.

- 10. n a. machine for applying tapeto work, the combinationiwitha work support over which the work is fed, of means to apply tape'to the work asit'; is fed thereover,

and a pull-off device for drawing tape from a source of'jsupply and delivering. it

to the tape-laying means, said pull-off device comprising two members overwhich' the tape passes, and means to. ive one member an orbital movement and t e other member an oscillatory movement. I. 11. In a taping machine, the combination with a work support over which work is fed, of means to apply adhesively-coated tape to the work, a roll over which the tape is fed, means to give said rollan orbital movement, a pivoted arm, a second roll carried thereby and over which the tape is led,

and means to oscillate said arm in timed relation with the orbitary movement of the first-named roll and in such a way as to cause the rolls to, move alternately toward and from each other.

12. In a combined taping and seam-press ing machine, the combination with a work support over which is fed work in the form of two pieces united by a scam presenting a seam vridge, of means to lay along the seam ridge a length of tape which is wider than the ridge, and means acting on the tape both to apply it to the work and also to press the seam ridge through the tape.

13. 'In a combined taping and seam-pressing machine, the combination with a work support over which is fed work in the form of two pieces united by a seam presenting the ridge, and means acting on the tape progressively in the direction of its length to press the seam ridge and acting on the ta e both progressively in the direction of its length and in the direction of its width to press the tape against the work.

14. In a combined taping and seam-press ing machine, the combination with a Work support over which is fed work in the form of two pieces united by a seam presenting a seam ridge, of means to lay adhesivelycoated tape along the scam ridge and simultaneously press the latter and cause the-tape to be adhesively united to the work.

15. In a device of the class described, the combination with a work support over which is fed work consisting of two pieces joined by a seam presenting a seam ridge, of means to press the seam ridge progressively and simultaneously lay adhesively-coated tape over the seam ridge and cause it to be adhesively united to the Work. 7

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

WALTER P. OSGOOD. 

